Hyper-Converged Infrastructure
Article | October 3, 2023
At last, the wait for 5G is nearly over. As this map shows, coverage is widespread across much of the U.S., in 24 EU countries, and in pockets around the globe.
The new wireless standard is worth the wait. Compared to 4G, the new wireless standard can move more data from the edge, with less latency. And connect many more users and devices—an important development given that the IDC estimates 152,000 new Internet of Things (IoT) devices per minute by 2025. Put it together, and 5G is a game-changing backhaul for public networks. (Wi-Fi 6, often mentioned in the same breath as 5G, is generally used for private WANs.
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Hyper-Converged Infrastructure
Article | October 3, 2023
Unveil the Hyperconverged Infrastructure adoption strategies, build an effective HCI implementation plan and align them with businesses of all sizes. Know leading companies for HCI adoption.
Contents
1. Introduction to HCI in B2B Markets
2. Evaluating HCI Readiness for B2B Organizations
2.1. Identifying Business Use Cases for HCI Implementation
2.2. Hyper-Converged Management and Orchestration
3. Building an Effective HCI Implementation Plan
3.1. Implementation of Managed Service Providers
4. Aligning HCI Strategy with Business Objectives
4.1. Integration and Compatibility with Existing Systems
4.2. HCI and Cloud Integration: Hybrid and Multi-Cloud for HCI
5. Top HCI Companies to Improve Cloud Management & Data Security Solutions
5.1. Virtual Tech Gurus
5.2. CTC Global
5.3. Winslow Technology Group
5.4. Internetwork Engineering
5.5. Eastern Computer Exchange
6. Maximizing Business Value through HCI in B2B Markets
1. Introduction to HCI in B2B Markets
HCI, a software-defined solution that organizes and abstracts networking, CPU, memory, and storage devices as resource pools, utilizing commodity x86-based hardware and virtualization software, enables the administrator to combine and provision these resources as virtual machines and independent storage resources such as network-attached storage (NAS) filers and object stores. Organizations face numerous infrastructure difficulties. They frequently receive urgent demands from the business to keep their organization agile and proactive while implementing new digital transformation initiatives. For many organizations, a cloud-only IT strategy is not a viable option; as a result, there is a growing interest in hybrid scenarios that offer the best of both realms.
Hyperconvergence makes administration much easier, enabling management of all aspects of infrastructure from one place while reducing complexity by removing compatibility problems between multiple vendors. AllHyperconvergedInfrastructure offerings serve as the foundation for on-premises infrastructure-as-a-service (IaaS) by unifying and integrating computing and storage as fundamental HCI technology infrastructure services.
The global Hyper-Converged Infrastructure market size was valued at USD 4805.24 million in 2022 and is expected to expand at a CAGR of 26.53% during the forecast period, reaching USD 19719.08 million by 2028.
2. Evaluating HCI Readiness for B2B Organizations
2.1. Identifying Business Use Cases for HCI Implementation
Software-Defined Data Center: Businesses face challenges due to surging market costs, increased competition, and the need for improved business agility. Scaling data centers and managing the addition of new resources pose a concern for an efficient workforce and time consumption. HCI is a key component of the Software-Defined Data Center (SDDC) strategy for centralizing business operations. SDDC abstracts hardware resources, enables policy-driven automation for resource allocation, and manages data resulting in an agile, pooled, automated data center environment.
High-Performance Computing: As technologies such as the Internet of Things, artificial intelligence, and three-dimensional imaging advance, the size and quantity of data that organizations must manage grow exponentially. Here, High-Performance Computing (HPC) comes into play, which employs clusters of powerful processors operating in parallel to process massive multidimensional datasets (big data) and solve intricate complexities at extremely high rates. It is fueled not only by rising demands but also by the prevalence of RDMA networking with reduced latency and higher throughput, as well as the widespread availability of public and private cloud HPCaaS.
Software-Defined Networking Integration: Business requirements require quick responses from enterprises and service providers to improve network control. Like storage, software-defined networking (SDN) virtualizes networking functions within a hyperconverged infrastructure. It creates a centrally managed and programmable network by separating network forwarding functions from network control functions. It allows for the centralized administration of networking devices and facilitates the automation of network devices and evaluating HCI solutions for business-specific needs.
2.2. Hyper-Converged Management and Orchestration
A modern hyper converged data center supports growing workloads while keeping a check on capital and operating expenses. This paves the way for a simplified transition to a hybrid cloud that allows for scalable performance, streamlined administration, and enhanced orchestration.
It delivers rapid deployment, orchestration, management, and monitoring of containerized environments, allowing focus on running businesses instead of infrastructure. This functionality enables IT departments to find a middle ground between empowering developers to choose their own containerized infrastructure and meeting the demands of service-level agreements in terms of reliability and availability.
The secure integration and smarter work are done through the use of open, extensible features that interface seamlessly with third-party platforms and applications to automate lifecycle operations and enable consistency and governance. It allows teams to intelligently visualize, optimize, and orchestrate the entire infrastructure and set of apps.
3. Building an Effective HCI Implementation Plan
3.1. Implementation of Managed Service Providers
Typically, the implementation ofmanaged service providers(MSPs) takes about 90-120 days, depending on the readiness of the organizations.
Meet the core subject matter experts in procurement to perform an organizational analysis and assessment.
Document current-state processes and policies helping identify the ROI for organizations.
Conduct an in-depth organizational assessment to capture operational and cultural requirements, adjusting the core implementation methodology.
Perform testing, configuration, and system design.
Carry out build & unit testing and user acceptance testing.
4. Aligning HCI Strategy with Business Objectives
4.1. Integration and Compatibility with Existing Systems
Business applications and specific technologies, including third-party services and service-level contracts, require HCI. Businesses use cloud-based ERP and CRM applications. Before choosing an HCI solution, decision-makers should consider if the hyperconverged infrastructure supports business application back-end systems. Containers and other workload-supporting technologies are equally significant. Multiple cloud services power businesses. Even if they run their cloud systems, they may use third-party disaster recovery or identity and access management (IAM) services. Decision-makers must ensure that the chosen HCI can integrate with these other services without extra steps.
4.2. HCI and Cloud Integration: Hybrid and Multi-Cloud for Hyperconverged Infrastructure
According toNutanix, 91% of IT decision-makers who consider hybrid cloud the ideal IT model for organizations.
Hybrid cloud is prevalent for comparable reasons. This architecture provides a comprehensive range of public and private cloud-based computing, storage, and services. Many organizations are discovering that integrating these technology trends can yield substantial benefits. By implementing HCI for their hybrid clouds, businesses are better equipped to address a variety of IT challenges, such as distributed workforces resulting in distributed data. As businesses increasingly adopt multi-cloud strategies, utilizing multiple public cloud services with private cloud or on-premises infrastructure becomes increasingly crucial. HCI simplifies multi-cloud management by reducing the difficulty of tracking resources, managing security, and optimizing performance across various cloud environments.
To assure compatibility between the HCI platform and different cloud services, network connectivity and data transit speeds management is required, which affects the performance and efficacy of a multi-cloud configuration. Hyperconverged infrastructure and cloud computing complement one another to provide a flexible, efficient, and scalable IT infrastructure that can adapt to the ever-changing requirements of businesses. Educating employees about hyperconverged technology, throughHCI certifications and courses,will empower them with the knowledge and skills needed to effectively deploy, manage, and optimize hyperconverged infrastructure, leading to enhanced operational efficiency, streamlined IT management, and the ability to harness the full potential. By comprehending the relationship between HCI and cloud computing, businesses make more informed IT strategy decisions and capitalize on the benefits of both approaches.
5. Top HCI Companies to Improve Cloud Management & Data Security Solutions
5.1. Virtual Tech Gurus
Virtual Tech Gurus (VTG), specializes in delivering Hybrid Solutions that seamlessly integrate the advantages of hyperconverged data center and public cloud technologies. It offers various insights, from data center inventory and discovery to user access auditing, cyber and business resiliency assessments, chargeback insights, capacity reporting, and cyber-configuration auditing. Its Cyber-Resolutions services are designed to encompass prevention auditing, response services related to user risks, cyber resiliency assessments, monitoring, and comprehensive incident response. This offers flexible, cost-effective services that translate into tangible business value for customers. VTG bolsters business performance in critical growth-oriented areas by providing consulting and project services across cloud services, data center migration, cloud migration, infrastructure assessment, and staffing. By elevating infrastructure performance, VTG achieves the twin goals of cost reduction and heightened availability, ultimately facilitating the swifter deployment of new services.
5.2. CTC Global
CTC Global, a prominent conglomerate, is a pivotal player in the HCI technology landscape. In the current era, enterprises embrace the choice of on-premise cloud networking resources to construct private cloud networks or opt for cloud-based networking resources for hybrid clouds. These cloud networking resources encompass virtual routers, virtual firewalls, HCI network monitoring, and management software, among other tools and functions readily accessible as needed. Its services include orchestrating a targeted response to cyberattacks to curtail their impact on business operations, Establishing an efficient third-party governance program to safeguard against ecosystem-related risks that could undermine business performance, Addressing the intricate digital risk management challenges a dynamic, distributed, and diverse workforce poses, equipping businesses with the knowledge to embed resilience into their day-to-day operations ensures smooth adaptation to the increasingly digital sphere.
5.3. Winslow Technology Group
Winslow Technology Group (WTG), a prominent leader in IT solutions offers managed services and cybersecurity services since 2003, consistently delivering exceptional business outcomes to its customers. WTG is committed to facilitating innovation and transformation for its clients' businesses by harnessing the advantages of data center solutions, digital workspace solutions, networking, and cloud infrastructure solutions. WTG serves a broad spectrum of clients, from medium-sized enterprises to Fortune 50 corporations, across diverse market segments, including the public sector, finance, healthcare, insurance, education, manufacturing, and technology. Data center advantages include reduced downtime enhanced security increased efficiency, optimized performance, automation of data centers and downtime & security management.
5.4. Internetwork Engineering
Internetwork Engineering (IE) fosters meaningful interactions by connecting individuals to its customers, colleagues, suppliers, patients, citizens, and students. IE is a strategic solution provider catering to mid-market and enterprise clients. Its comprehensive services span consulting, implementation, and operational services, enveloping four validated architectures: collaboration, data centers, intelligent networks, and security. Advancing data protection strategy in the modern landscape encompasses more than mere security and recovery, it extends to data availability, access privileges, and data center considerations. Data protection figures prominently in evaluating storage, backup solutions, network design, and security controls. IE addresses this essential facet with various solutions to ensure seamless business operations such as meeting backup and recovery goals, navigating data center breaches, cyber-attacks, and DDoS attacks, facilitating data replication to remote or cloud data centers, and more.
5.5. Eastern Computer Exchange
Eastern Computer Exchange (ECEI), a technology company, boasts an impressive legacy of three decades in the industry. ECEI offers holistic technology solutions, encompassing migrations, consolidations, cloud integrations, and global desktop rollouts. ECEI's specialty solutions encompass a broad spectrum, including private/public/hybrid cloud strategy and implementation, operations managed services, cloud management platform implementation, DevOps strategies with container management and orchestration solutions, hyper-converged infrastructure solutions, and end-user compute modernization solutions. The crucial interplay between network and security is the foundation of ECEI's offerings. Recognizing the inadequacy of traditional detection and blocking defenses, ECEI aligns with the zero trust network architecture (ZTNA) trend, offering valuable expertise for evaluating and orchestrating the migration to ZTNA.
6. Maximizing Business Value through HCI in B2B Markets
Hyper-converged infrastructure has emerged as a potent solution that holds the potential to enhance business value. It brings inherent data protection and disaster recovery features, assuring business continuity and upholding the critical trust of B2B partners. Security and compliance are prioritized through integrated measures that safeguard data integrity and adhere to industry regulations. This technology also empowers business agility. Swift deployment and flexibility enable rapid responses to market shifts, thereby boosting hyperconverged market sizes, ensuring B2B enterprises seize emerging opportunities and adapt to evolving customer preferences. By optimizing operations, hyperconverged infrastructure frees up resources that can be allocated to a customer-centric focus, nurturing stronger and more responsive client relationships.
As we peer into the future, the trajectory of HCI's influence reveals promising trends and a wide-ranging scope poised to redefine how businesses extract value within B2B environments. One of the prominent trends on the horizon is the deepening integration of HCI architectures into diverse business ecosystems. Furthermore, the burgeoning scope of HCI extends beyond conventional data center management. The forthcoming years are anticipated to witness an increased convergence of HCI with cloud technologies, resulting in a hybridized infrastructure model. Moreover, the integration of HCI aligns harmoniously with the ascent of Industry 4.0 and the Internet of Things. The seamless connectivity and resource optimization offered by HCI are poised to drive transformative shifts in industrial automation, supply chain management, and predictive maintenance, ultimately nurturing enhanced productivity and innovation within B2B sectors.
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Hyper-Converged Infrastructure, Application Infrastructure
Article | July 19, 2023
IT and data center administrators are under pressure to foster quicker innovation. For workers and customers to have access to digital experiences, more devices must be deployed, and larger enterprise-to-edge networks must be managed. The security of distributed networks has suffered as a result of this rapid growth, though.
Some colocation providers can install custom locks for your cabinet if necessary due to the varying compliance standards and security needs for distinct applications. However, physical security measures are still of utmost importance because theft and social engineering can affect hardware as well as data.
Risk Companies Face
Remote IT work continue on the long run
Attacking users is the easiest way into networks
IT may be deploying devices with weak controls
When determining whether rack-level security is required, there are essentially two critical criteria to take into account. The first is the level of sensitivity of the data stored, and the second is the importance of the equipment in a particular rack to the facility's continuing functioning. Due to the nature of the data being handled and kept, some processes will always have a higher risk profile than others.
Conclusion
Data centers must rely on a physically secure perimeter that can be trusted. Clients, in particular, require unwavering assurance that security can be put in place to limit user access and guarantee that safety regulations are followed. Rack-level security locks that ensure physical access limitations are crucial to maintaining data center space security. Compared to their mechanical predecessors, electronic rack locks or "smart locks" offer a much more comprehensive range of feature-rich capabilities.
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Hyper-Converged Infrastructure, Windows Systems and Network
Article | July 11, 2023
Streamlining operations and maximizing efficiency: Choose the right tools for managing and orchestrating hyper-converged infrastructure to unlock its full potential with Hyperconverged solutions.
Managing and orchestrating hyper-converged infrastructure (HCI) is critical to modern IT operations. With the growing adoption of HCI solutions, choosing the right tools for management and orchestration is essential for organizations to optimize their infrastructure and ensure seamless operations. In this article, we will delve into the factors to consider when selecting Hyper-Converged tools for management and orchestration and explore some of the top options available in the market.
1. Symcloud Orchestrator
The Symcloud platform is a webscale solution designed for metal-service automation and orchestration in telecommunications. It enables the automation and management of various network components, including RAN (Radio Access Network), packet core, and MEC (Multi-Access Edge Computing). With Symcloud, businesses can centrally manage large numbers of CNF (Cloud-Native Function) and VNF (Virtual Network function) capable Kubernetes clusters on a single Kubernetes platform. The platform allows for rapid deployment of the entire solution stack in minutes, supporting edge, far edge, and core data centers. Symcloud provides advanced monitoring, planning, and healing capabilities, enabling users to view hardware, software, services, and connectivity dependencies. The architecture of Symcloud Orchestrator combines app-aware storage, virtual networking, and application workflow automation on Kubernetes. Symcloud Storage provides advanced storage and data management capabilities for Kubernetes distributions, seamlessly integrating with native administrative tooling. Symcloud Platform is a Kubernetes infrastructure that supports containers and virtual machines, offering superior performance, features, and flexibility.
2. Morpheus
Morpheus Data is a comprehensive hybrid cloud management platform that empowers enterprises to manage and modernize their applications while reducing costs and improving efficiency. With Morpheus, businesses can quickly enable on-premises private clouds, centralize access to public clouds, and orchestrate changes with advanced features like cost analytics, governance policies, and automation. It provides a unified view of virtual machines, clouds, containers, and applications in a single location, regardless of the private or public cloud environment. Morpheus offers responsive support from an expert team and features an extensible design. It helps centralize platforms, create private clouds, manage public clouds, and streamline Kubernetes deployments. This tool also enables compliance assurance through simplified authentication, access controls, policies, and security management. By automating application lifecycles, running workflows, and simplifying day-to-day operations, Morpheus helps modernize applications. The platform optimizes cloud costs by inventorying existing resources, right-sizing them, tracking cloud spending, and providing centralized visibility.
3. The Kubernetes Database-as-a-Service Platform
Portworx Data Services is a Kubernetes Database-as-a-Service (DBaaS) platform that offers a single solution for deploying, operating, and managing various data services without being locked into a specific vendor. It simplifies heterogeneous databases' deployment and day-to-day operations, eliminating the need for specialized expertise. With one click, organizations can deploy enterprise-grade data services with built-in capabilities like backup, restore, high availability, data recovery, security, capacity management, and migration. The platform supports a broad catalog of data services, including SQL Server, MySQL, PostgreSQL, MongoDB, Redis, Elasticsearch, Cassandra, Couchbase, Kafka, Consul, RabbitMQ, and ZooKeeper. Portworx Data Services provides a consistent DBaaS experience on any infrastructure, whether on-premises or in the cloud, enabling seamless migration based on evolving business requirements.
4. DCImanager
DCImanager- a platform for managing multivendor IT infrastructure is a comprehensive platform for providing a unified interface to oversee and control all equipment types, including racks, servers, network devices, PDUs, and virtual networks. It is suitable for servers and data centers of any size, including distributed environments. DCImanager eliminates the need for additional tools and associated maintenance costs, allowing users to work seamlessly with equipment from popular vendors. With DCImanager, users can efficiently manage servers remotely, automate maintenance tasks, monitor power consumption, configure network settings, track inventory, visualize racks, and receive timely notifications. With over 16 years of experience, DCImanager is a reliable solution trusted by thousands of companies worldwide, backed by professional support.
5. EasyDCIM
EasyDCIM, a cloud-like bare metal server provisioning is a comprehensive and hassle-free data center administration solution that offers an all-in-one platform for managing daily tasks without requiring multiple software tools. It provides mobility, allowing remote management of data centers from any location and device. The system is highly expandable and customizable, allowing users to tailor the functionality to their needs. EasyDCIM excels in automated bare metal and dedicated server provisioning, streamlining the process from ordering to service delivery. It features a standalone system with a fully customizable admin control panel and user portal. The platform includes advanced data center asset lifecycle tracking, automated OS installation, network auto-discovering, and integration with billing solutions. EasyDCIM's modular architecture enables the easy extension and modification of system components.
6. Puppet
Puppet-Infrastructure automation and compliance at enterprise scale offers an automation solution that allows businesses to manage and automate complex workflows using reusable blocks of self-healing infrastructure as code. With model-driven and task-based configuration management, organizations can quickly deploy infrastructure to meet their evolving needs at any scale. By automating the entire infrastructure lifecycle, Puppet increases operational efficiency, eliminates silos, reduces response time, and streamlines change management. Puppet's automated policy enforcement ensures continuous compliance and a secure posture, enabling the identification, reporting, and resolution of errors while enforcing the desired state across the infrastructure. Leveraging the vibrant Puppet community, users can benefit from pre-built content and workflows, accelerating their deployment. With deep DevOps and enterprise experience, Puppet is a trusted advisor, assisting the largest enterprise customers in rethinking and redefining their IT management practices.
7. Foreman
Foreman is a robust lifecycle management tool designed for system administrators to manage physical and virtual servers efficiently. With Foreman, tasks can be automated, applications can be deployed quickly, and server management becomes proactive. It supports a wide range of providers, enabling hybrid cloud management. The tool includes features such as external node classification, Puppet and Salt configuration monitoring, and comprehensive host monitoring. Its CLI, Hammer, offers easy access to API calls for streamlined data center management. With RBAC and LDAP integration, audits, and a pluggable architecture, Foreman provides a powerful solution for server provisioning, configuration management, and monitoring.
Conclusion
HCI choosing the right tools for management and orchestration is paramount for organizations seeking to optimize their operations and achieve greater efficiency. Businesses can make informed decisions and select tools that align with their specific needs by considering factors such as scalability, automation capabilities, integration, and vendor support. Whether leveraging vendor-provided solutions or opting for third-party tools, the key is ensuring that the chosen tools enable effective management and orchestration of the HCI environment, allowing organizations to unlock the full potential of their infrastructure and drive business success.
As HCI continues to gain prominence, selecting the appropriate Hyper-Converged tools for management and orchestration becomes crucial for organizations aiming to streamline operations and maximize the benefits of their infrastructure investment. By carefully evaluating the available options, considering key factors, and aligning with business requirements, organizations can make informed decisions that optimize their HCI environment and enable them to adapt to the evolving needs of their digital infrastructure.
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